Tips to carpet Staurogyne repens

[fishenthusiast]

Hello everyone! First, I'd like to say that this forum has been very helpful in helping me further enhance my planted tank, so thanks to all. Nevertheless, I'm planning on carpeting Staurogyne repens in my 30 gallon long (36" x 12" x 16"). I want to make this plant carpet into a bushy carpet that doesn't get too tall. I've failed with HC and Dwarf Hairgrass, so I want to get it right this time. I have good medium light (T5 HO) and I dose PPS-Pro with Flourish Excel. I plan on getting this plant from Peabody's (8 stems I think for $7.50), and I'm wondering how much I should purchase from them to get a good start. How long should I leave this plant alone for once planted? How should I make this plant spread horizontally, or encourage the bushy appearance? Here is picture of my tank for reference:

As you can see, my foreground is lifeless, and I'd like to change that! Give me as much information as possible! Thanks!

 

[Brookster123]

I just started some myself so I'll be tagging along this thread! Sounds like you have a good set up for it..

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[fishenthusiast]

I just started some myself so I'll be tagging along this thread! Sounds like you have a good set up for it..

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

Yeah, I was told in another thread that this plant would be great to try. Now I'm just getting prepared to carpet it before I even buy it haha (I didn't get advice before trying to carpet HC and DHG). Hopefully we'll get some great insight ?

 

[Coryluv]

Just be sure to plant it where it gets direct light. From your picture it looks like you have some of that up front. It take a few weeks for it to settle in and start growing. It may even die back some at first. It grows roots before leaves in my experience.

 

[Coryluv]

As to carpeting, and I forget to answer that, after it is established, pinch off the tops that are too tall and replant them. The pinched plants should bush out and stay lower. The tops will grow new plants and add to our carpet.

 

[Brookster123]

As to carpeting, and I forget to answer that, after it is established, pinch off the tops that are too tall and replant them. The pinched plants should bush out and stay lower. The tops will grow new plants and add to our carpet.

By pinch do you mean physically pinch with fingers or would snipping with scissors suffice?

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[Coryluv]

You can snip with scissors. I happen to have fingernails that can cleanly pinch off stem plants, but I forget not everyone can. Scissors are just fine!

 

[Fishperson]

Yes thats exactly what I would do as well.

 

[Sk3lly]

Yea star repens wont carpet by itself. It will bush up but not carpet.

You have to physically make it carpet yourself. Wait for it to grow high, trim top and replant. More you buy the quicker you'll have your carpet

 

[fishenthusiast]

Yea star repens wont carpet by itself. It will bush up but not carpet.

You have to physically make it carpet yourself. Wait for it to grow high, trim top and replant. More you buy the quicker you'll have your carpet

Alright. I think 16 stems of it in a 30 gallon would make a good start. Would waiting for it to grow 4 inches or so be fine to cut and replant? Also, how far should I plant each stem away from each other?

 

[Sk3lly]

I only let mine get 3inches before i cut. Place maybe an inch or so apart. Although it wont matter too much if they are closer. I find this plant grows fast in my tank

 

[fishenthusiast]

I only let mine get 3inches before i cut. Place maybe an inch or so apart. Although it wont matter too much if they are closer. I find this plant grows fast in my tank

That's good. I would've tried to carpet Crypt Parva, but I can't wait that long. This plant sounds perfect for my tank since it doesn't sound slow and it could root in fast enough so that my Cory Cats can't uproot it.

 

[Sk3lly]

Plus it develops a really nice shade of green

 

[fishenthusiast]

Plus it develops a really nice shade of green

Awesome! I'm hoping to make it look like this one day:
I was going to attempt Marsilea crenata, but I like the look of Staurogyne repens so much that I think it would look better as my entire foreground.

 

[Sk3lly]

Thats a lovely example!

Marsilea crenata in its submersed state doesnt grow with the 'four leaf clover' effect. It actually only has one leaf. Its actually kind of boring

 

[Coryluv]

Alright. I think 16 stems of it in a 30 gallon would make a good start. Would waiting for it to grow 4 inches or so be fine to cut and replant? Also, how far should I plant each stem away from each other?

It's a matter of personal taste as to how high to let them grow. The replanted tops should have a minimum of four to six leaves after removing the bottom two leaves. I replant at least an inch apart. YMMV. There videos on YouTube that may give you a feel for it. Just Google and they'll pop up.

 

[Fresh2o]

I try to trim at 2"; depends on if there are side shoots present on the bottom half. I like to keep the carpet low.
I recently had to nuke them with peroxide because there was some BBA growing on the older bottom leaves.
16 stems should be plenty. In a short time you will probably be trimming and replanting about 3/4 of them so that will make it a total of 28 plants and soon you will be filling up every available area that gets direct light. I like this plant.

 

[fishenthusiast]

Thats a lovely example!

Marsilea crenata in its submersed state doesnt grow with the 'four leaf clover' effect. It actually only has one leaf. Its actually kind of boring

Thanks! I agree on the Dwarf Four Leaf Clover; it doesn't look as vibrant as Staurogyne repens at all.

It's a matter of personal taste as to how high to let them grow. The replanted tops should have a minimum of four to six leaves after removing the bottom two leaves. I replant at least an inch apart. YMMV. There videos on YouTube that may give you a feel for it. Just Google and they'll pop up.

Here is a good one: http://youtu.be/uhcPhwGElEQ

I try to trim at 2"; depends on if there are side shoots present on the bottom half. I like to keep the carpet low.
I recently had to nuke them with peroxide because there was some BBA growing on the older bottom leaves.
16 stems should be plenty. In a short time you will probably be trimming and replanting about 3/4 of them so that will make it a total of 28 plants and soon you will be filling up every available area that gets direct light. I like this plant.

2" would be great for my tank size. I'll cut them to make them be that size. This plant will contrast my Cryptocoryne well

 

[Fishperson]

Be careful because for me this plant will get uprooted fairly easily. I have around 10 stems in my 10 gallon and for the first week, every day, I would wake up to find one stem floating around. Considering that my tank has very little current that's pretty strange. After the first week they have been fine though, so I suppose it's just a matter of growing roots in.

 

[Fresh2o]

Be careful because for me this plant will get uprooted fairly easily. I have around 10 stems in my 10 gallon and for the first week, every day, I would wake up to find one stem floating around. Considering that my tank has very little current that's pretty strange. After the first week they have been fine though, so I suppose it's just a matter of growing roots in.

I used toothpicks to hold down the star repens the first few weeks. It was from one of those TopFin gel packs so they were very small (HC small). The MTS would uproot them from time to time. Plus, two AC50s were generating quite a bit of current which was not helping.
Several months later I moved them and the roots were quite extensive (similar to crypts roots).